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5 classic trucks and their polarizing modern revivals

EVs are helping eliminate Detroit's gas-guzzling problem. Some revivals of gas-powered classics are getting the EV treatment.  But not every revived model looks exactly like its original counterpart. We're in a new era of hulking Detroit metal, and you can thank EVs. Americans can't get enough of their big, beefy trucks and SUVs. But for many years, some of the biggest gas guzzlers fell out of fashion as gas prices rose and emissions regulations tightened. But in the past few years, some of the most iconic American truck nameplates have been brought back to life with electric motors, like the GMC Hummer. In other cases, as with the Ford Bronco, improvements in engine technology and more interest in rugged adventure vehicles made a gas-powered revival possible. Even some revivals that started as gas-powered, like the Chevy Blazer and the Jeep Wagoneer, are now getting electrified spinoffs. (Even if they don't always look quite as sleek as their original inspiration.) Here are side-by-sides of five classic American trucks and their modern counterparts. The Jeep Wagoneer 1975 Jeep Wagoneer and 2024 Electric Jeep Wagoneer SStellantis After a long wait, Jeep released its revival of the classic Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer in 2020. Starting later this year, an electric version of the luxury Jeep SUV will join the Wagoneer lineup. The Chevrolet Blazer A 1973 Chevrolet Blazer and a 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EVGetty Images, General Motors The Chevrolet Blazer was first rebooted in 2019 as a sporty family SUV. The modern Blazer shares zero resemblance to its boxy, off-roading older sibling, but it has still managed to become one of Chevy's more popular SUVs in recent years. The Blazer EV came later, and was one of the first models GM built on its new Ultium battery platform. The Hummer A Hummer H2 and the 2023 Hummer EV pickup truckGetty Images, General Motors Once the poster child for Detroit's big, bad gas guzzlers, the Hummer got new life as an electric pickup truck in 2021. The Ford Bronco A 1971 Ford Bronco and a 2022 Ford BroncoFord Motor Co. After a rouge group of engineers and designers inside Ford spent years trying to breathe life back into the Blue Oval's boxy off-roader, the Ford Bronco was finally resurrected in 2020 amid a rise in popularity for rugged adventure vehicles. The Ford Ranger 1985 Ford Ranger and a 2024 Ford RangerFord Motor Co.

Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV revealed, priced the same as the truck

Following up on the 2024 GMC Hummer EV pickup truck's big reveal back in October is the SUV variant. And it looks pretty much the way you would expect. From roughly the doors forward, it's the same as the blocky pickup. But the back half now has an enclosed cargo area, a full-door tailgate and full-size spare mounted to it. Besides the tweaked looks, the SUV is physically shorter. The full dimensions haven't been revealed yet, but the wheelbase is 8.9 inches shorter than the truck at 126.7 inches total. The overall length is likely reduced even further, since the tail is much shorter than the truck's with the rear wheels close to the bumper. Both of these changes will greatly improve breakover and departure angles, plus make the vehicle generally more maneuverable on and off road. GMC boasts that with four-wheel-steering, the turning circle is just 35.4 feet, about a foot and a half tighter than the truck. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Powertrains are identical to that of the truck. The EV2 and EV2X get two motors making 625 horsepower. Higher EV3X and Edition 1 trims have three motors making 830 horsepower. Electric range varies between about 250 miles to 300 miles depending on specification. Extremely fast 800-volt, 300-kW DC fast charging is available and included on all but the base trim level. An Extreme Off-Road Package is available on EV2X and above that adds 18-inch wheels with 35-inch mud-terrain tires. You'll also be able to get the ground-clearance-increasing air suspension and four-wheel steering with the famous Crab Mode. Super Cruise will be standard on every GMC Hummer EV. Pricing and trim levels are nearly identical to the pickup truck, with only the Edition 1 varying. The base model starts at $79,995, and each trim and price is listed below. Prices are listed without the destination charge because that figure has not been revealed yet. EV2: $79,995 EV2X: $89,995 EV3X: $99,995 Edition 1: $105,595 ($110,595 with Extreme Off-Road Package) The Edition 1 SUVs will be available first with sales starting early next year. The EV2X and EV3X will go on sale that spring, and the base EV2 trims will go on sale in spring 2024. GMC is taking reservations now, and they can be made at this link. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.